


Beneath The Earth. By The Water.

by AlanaG



Series: The Devil Within [1]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Ambiguous Divination, Ambiguous Time Travel, Gen, Melancholy, Morally Ambiguous Character, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:34:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27854362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlanaG/pseuds/AlanaG
Summary: Her heart stopped, her lungs followed, and her body cooled. Is she alive? Dead? Or even somewhere in between? She doesn’t know.
Relationships: Elena Gilbert & Jeremy Gilbert, Minor Elena Gilbert/Elijah Mikaelson, Past Elena Gilbert/Stefan Salvatore - Relationship, past Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore - Relationship
Series: The Devil Within [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2039126
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter I

With a snap, her emotions crash into her from beyond a wall, not of her making. The raw anguish of her brother’s death is unchanged, her knees almost buckling under its weight. Her vision blurs, and she loses all sound. 

It takes only a moment before it all roars back in like a tidal wave. The waters of her anger wash over her. Her sight clears, her mind focuses, though the weight remains. Her rage gives her the strength to endure. It is her rage, her anger at those she loves. Anger at those that claim to love her. Anger at those she trusted, and especially anger at herself. 

Her fury has only one inevitable outcome, violence. Violence against the one who claims to love her yet stands over the corpse of another murdered friend. This man who claims love but isn’t above taking her free will, disregarding her decisions, the lives of her loved ones when it suits him, and punishing her for his faults—this man who rebukes her for the forgiveness she gives others but demands it for himself. 

He is the first to die. No pause is given for his explanation or reason. Nor does she wait for his half-hearted apologies. She does not allow his silver tongue to poison her mind once more. His guard is down; he expected her to weep, not for her hand to tear his heart from his chest. 

Her anger doesn’t lessen with the act but only increases, and it’s not long before his brother joins him in the ground. She doesn’t mourn him either. That man she once thought would be her forever. He promised forever, but he lied. He promised her respect, but all she received was dishonor. He lied when he said he loved only her while clinging to her shadow. 

Her shadow is the last to die. She is hard to destroy, and sadly her death will never be enough to repay the pain she’s caused, but her anger is enough to secure victory. It’s then, and only then, does her passion leave her, giving way to weeping, acrimonious laughter.

She laughs. She cries, with a tear-filled smile. Her mind is so far gone from her body; she doesn’t acknowledge the vengeful spirit that enacts its retribution. It’s only as her own heart leaves her body and her skin goes grey does she finally wake.

* * *

**Author's Note :::**

**I've had some dark, morally grey Elena ideas for years, but I've never really found a way to get them into a coherent story. Hopefully, this will be a Kickstarter.**

**Just as the show went on, especially as they handled no-humanity Elena, I got really annoyed with handling her character and supernatural mythos before I finally quit the show once the Originals left.**

**So what do you think?**  
**Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.**


	2. Chapter II

She dies before she’s eighteen. Orphaned and alone, she dies in the arms of one who does not love her. She sinks into the abyss, where she finds neither heaven nor hell. 

A nightmare? A fever dream? A vision, perhaps? She does not know, but she awakes with blood staining her hands and water pouring from her lips, her heart tight with pain. 

Her body feels foreign. Unfit for the mind and power that now resides. Her heart is hardened, almost dead. Loves that once ignited her soul have turned to ash. 

Friends become liabilities, their love the enemy. Her lover leaves, and she pretends to feel his absence. She clings to her brother, the pretense of sadness masking her ends. 

Sealed by blood and by magic, lies pour from her lips. She feels the grief that each death brings but does nothing to stop them. She tells herself it’s for her family, what little she has left, but it doesn’t help her sleep.

When she feels herself begin to falter, she takes to sleeping beside her brother. His heartbeat beneath her hand gives her rest and hardens her resolve. 

Her lover returns, and she feels nothing to his indifference, nor his cruelty. She cries when she has to, she laughs when prompted, but the act is hollow. 

The girl she once was isn’t completely gone. She feels sadness for the girl trapped by time, by the men in her life, whether her father or brother. Though it’s not enough to stay her hand as the knife slips through the skin and into the heart. 

Her betrayal is for naught. The plan fails as she knows it will. The betrayal of her former lover is a welcomed relief. She no longer has to hide her disdain, and with fewer lies for her to tell, she is that much closer to her goal. 

Her brother and his play their parts beautifully, though only one is unaware. The dream of 1864 gives the latter hope, and begrudgingly, she feeds it, though her skin crawls when they embrace—she cannot, will not falter now.

Deception is not always necessary. The smile is genuine at the return of the ancient noble. It’s not a lie that she has to tell, nor chooses to. He’s always valued her honesty, and so with no else to see, her hand flies. 

He doesn’t expect this small act of violence but doesn’t condemn her for it either and gracefully accepts the rapidly fading mark to his cheek. 

Apologies and condolences are passed but never are they meaningless. Promises of peace are given, empty as they are, but the truth when presented. 

Secretly, she shares his shame on what they deem necessary to protect the ones they love. She knows what she’s done; and what she will do. 

“Accept the deal or don’t. Either way, I win.”

He forgives her. It isn’t required, but it’s not unwelcome. A kiss seals their farewell; it’s the only one he remembers, and one she will cherish as she leaves him and the town behind her. 

Far away, with only her brother beside her, she sheds her name though she cannot shed her face. 

* * *

**Author's Note :::**

**So what do you think?**  
**Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.**


End file.
